Junior D. SAUNDERS

SAUNDERS, DEWALD, PETERSEN, STOFFER, GROFF, SPELL

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/20/2007 at 10:26:31

October 11, 1999
Mason City Globe-Gazette

Junior D. Saunders, 86, of Belmond, passed away on Friday (Oct. 8, 1999) at Mercy Health Center-North Iowa, in Mason City. Funeral services for Junior D. Saunders will be held at 10:30 a.m. today, at the United Methodist Church in Belmond, with the Rev. Celestyne DeVance officiating. Burial will take place in the Belmond Cemetery. Visitation was held Sunday at the Dugger Ewing Funeral Home, in Belmond.

Junior, the son of Tom and Elizabeth DeWald Saunders was born Sept. 7, 1913 in rural Hopkinton, Iowa. He grew up in the Hopkinton area, graduating from Hopkinton High School in 1932. He attended Lennox Junior College and served in the United States Army in the European Theatre during World War II. Following his tour of duty, Junior worked for Diamond Brother's Grocery chain where he was a trouble shooter/store manager in various communities in Iowa. He moved to Belmond in 1949 and worked as manager of Diamond Brother's Grocery. On April 2, 1950, Junior was united in marriage with Gladys Petersen at Austin, Minn. The couple made their home in Belmond. They owned and operated Buy-Lo Food Market in Belmond from 1950-1976. He continued his love of the business with employment at P&G Grocery until 1997. Gladys passed away in 1984, after 34 years of marriage. On Sept. 19, 1986, Junior was united in marriage with Laura Stoffer, of Belmond. Junior was an avid golfer and sports enthusiast. He enjoyed watching his grandchildren participate as well as the local teams. He was a member of the United Methodist Church, in Belmond, where he sang in the choir for many years. He was also a past member of the Masonic Lodge.

Junior is survived by his wife, Laura; one daughter, Cyndy Groff, of Osage; one son, Douglas Saunders and his wife, Jan, of Charles City; one stepdaughter, Jill Stoffer, of Belmond; two stepsons, Leland Stoffer, of Des Moines and Lonny Stoffer and his wife, Laura, of Monet, Mo.; seven grandchildren, Kevin, Julie, Whitney, Kelly, Randy, Pamela and Tracy; four stepgrandchildren, Chad, Clint, Logan and Louis; 11 great-grandchildren; three step great-grandchildren; two brothers, Clifford Saunders, of Hopkinton and Russell Saunders and his wife, Helen, of Hopkinton; also a daughter, Saundra Spell and her husband, Ray, of Inverness, Fla. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Gladys; an infant brother; and a son-in-law, Richard Groff. Dugger Ewing Funeral Home.